Battle of Sampagha Pass (1619)
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| Battle of Sampagha pass | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Mughal-Afghan Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
|
Roshani movement Orakzai Daulatzai |
 Mughal Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Ihdad Malik Tor Malik Asghar |
Ghairat Khan † Jalal Khan Gakhar † Masud Khan † Bejzan † Mahabat Khan | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ~300 killed |
Heavy ~5,000 horses captured | ||||||
The Battle of Sampagha pass or the Battle of Tirah took place in 1619 between the forces of the Mughal Empire under Mahabat Khan and the tribal followers of the Roshani movement led by Ihdad and his Orakzai allies in the Tirah Valley. The battle resulted in a decisive defeat for the Mughals, marking one of the most significant Pashtun victories against Mughal incursions during the reign of Emperor Jahangir.
In the latter part of the sixteenth century, Bayazid Ansari, established his base in Tirah and founded the Roshani movement, a socio-religious and political movement that challenged Mughal authority in the frontier regions. His followers, known as Roshniyas, settled among the Orakzai, particularly the Ismailzai, Lashkarzai, and Daulatzai clans.[1]
Following the death of Bayazid, his son Jalala continued the struggle against the Mughals with the support of the Orakzai. Jalala was later succeeded by his nephew and son-in-law, Ihdad, who consolidated his position in Tirah. During the reign of Emperor Jahangir, Mahabat Khan, then Subedar of Kabul, was tasked with suppressing Ihdad’s growing influence among the Tirah tribes.[2][1]
Mahabat Khan allied with the Bangash Khans of Hangu, who treacherously massacred around 300 Orakzai notables including the family of Malik Asghar Daulatzai under the pretext of awarding them khilats. Only Malik Asghar and his cousin Malik Tor survived. In response, Asghar relinquished the chieftainship to Malik Tor, and the Orakzai, anticipating a Mughal offensive, fortified the passes leading into Tirah.[3][1]